Workshop

Sprawling over an area of seven football fields between the Marina Mandarin and The Oriental Singapore is the Marina Square Shopping Mall. Anchored by Metro department store, it has an eclectic mix of bargain boutiques, entertainment venues and food outlets that generally draw a younger crowd. Be careful, though--you might get lost in the passageways and windowless atriums, in the midst of more than 220 shops and hordes of teenagers. Also scattered over the three stories are amusement centers for kids, dozens of cafes and restaurants for the famished and a choice of two Cineplexes for film buffs.

Not too long ago, Marina Square was a Workshop dowdy mall, favored by errant teenagers for its game arcades and middle-aged shoppers for its middle-aged offerings. After a makeover, now it's practically unrecognizable, with hip new boutiques, an array of eateries and a plush new Cineplex.

In 2004, the mall started major renovation works which were completed in mid-2006. It now has 65,000 square meters (700,000 square feet) of retail space, which makes it one of Singapore's largest malls.